In the wake of its small SoundTouch adapter, Bose has just announced the release of a brand new amplification system for powering and connecting passive speakers to a wifi or Bluetooth network. This Music Amplifier is presented very soberly in the form of a pad of 7.3 x 21 x 21 cm weighing 2.5 kg. If its side and lower shells are made of plastic, the upper surface is made of tempered glass, which gives it a certain cachet. Only a button on the front used for Bluetooth pairing disturbs these clean lines. In addition, it is possible to place the amplifier on a rack thanks to the mounting system supplied with the purchase.
The Bose Music Amplifier has a nice collection of connectors on the back made up of three inputs (Ethernet, RCA and optical) allowing you to connect a CD or vinyl player to your multiroom network. There is also an Ethernet, RCA and mini-jack output for connecting a subwoofer. The last connection is a rather atypical (male) pin system, which allows you to connect up to two pairs of passive speakers. Indeed, the Bose Music Amplifier also serves as an amplifier and is capable of delivering a power of 125 W per channel. However, we have no information on whether or not there are terminal block adapters in the box when purchasing.
In addition to all this connectivity, the Bose Music Amplifier has Bluetooth and wifi connectivity which allows it to be connected to the multiroom network of the house. It is compatible with Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Chromecast in addition to being able to be integrated into a network managed by Alexa or Google Assistant. Many settings and parameters are accessible through the Bose Music app, which allows, among other things, to manage the multiroom network.
The Bose Music Amplifier is already available for €799.95, the same price as the Sonos Amp, its direct competitor.